Coin-controlled switch for electric circuits.



T. McA. KNOX & F. W. BROGKHOFP. COIN CONTROLLED SWITCH FOR ELECTRICCIRCUITS. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 31, 1912.

1,087,300. Patented Feb. 17, 1914.

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W/fnesses Dwenfors mm 7710mas M A. Knox r 1 y f T. MoA. KNOX & F. W.BBOCKHOFF. 00m CONTROLLED SWITCH FOE ELECTRIC moms. APPLICATION FILEDAUG. 31, 1912. 1,Q87,3()Q Patented Feb. 17, 1914.

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M'fnesses [/1 vemons 7/ We. Thomas M A. Knox. rick N Brock/10 By gwvnaudlf, fir fi/f UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS Mel. KNOX, OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY, AND FREDRICK W. BROGKHOFF,OF JEFFERSON BARRACKS, MISSOURI.

COIN-CONTROLLED SWITCH FOR ELECTRIC CIRCUITS. 7

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that we, TnoMAs MoA. Knox, an officer of the U. S. Army,stationed at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri, and FREDRIOK W. BROGKHOFF, acitizen of the United States,- residing at Jefierso-n Bar racks,Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement inCoin-Controlled Switches for Electric Circuits, of which the followingis a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of thisspecification, in which Figure- 1 is a diagrammatic view of our improvedapparatus, the same being shown in connection with an electric fancircuit.

Fig. 2 is an elevational view partly in section of the switch and thecam for operating the switch arm. Fig. 3 is an enlarged crossseetionalview taken approximately on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, and showing the gearconnections between the shaft that carries the cam that controls theswitch arm and the train of reducing gearing. Fig. 4 is an enlargeddetail section taken approximately on the line 4- 1, and showing thetrain of gearing between the coin receptacles and the shaft carrying theswitch-controlling cam. Fig.- 5 is an enlarged vertical section throughone of the coin-receiving boxes, said view being taken approximately onthe line 55 of Fig. 1.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in coincontrol-led switches for electric circuits, the'principal object of ourinvention being to provide a simple coin-controlled mechanism adaptedfor closing a switch inan electric circuit whereby current fromasuitable source of supply will be delivered through the circuit toactuate a device such as a fan, the period of time of the delivery ofthe current into the circuit being controlled by the denomination of thecoins inserted into the respective coin receptacles A further object ofour invention is to arrange a switch in an electric circuit and toarrange a cam for operating said switch, which cam is set by theinsertion of a coin in one of the coin receptacles, and which cam afterbeing set is slowly rotated by Specification of Letters Patent. PatentedFeb, 17, 1914,

Application filed August 31, 1912.

Serial No. 718,130.

means of a small motor to bring a shoulder or recess on said cam intoposition in alinement with the switch arm, thereby permitting saidswitch arm to move by spring pressure so as to open the circuit, therebycutting off the flow of electricalenergy to the fan or other device withwhich the apparatus is combined.

Our improved apparatus is particularly intended for use in connectionwith electric fans and other electrically operated devices ordinarilyplaced in hotel rooms and in staterooms of vessels.

To the above purposes our invention consists in certain novel featuresof construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fullydescribed and claimed.

Referring by numerals to theaccompanying drawings, 10 and 11 designatethe lines of a circuit leading from a suitable source of electricalenergy to a fan 12 or other electrically operated device, and located inline 10 is a pair of contact points 13 with which is adapted to engage acontact bar 14:, preferably of the knife-blade type. This contact bar iscarried by an arm 15,- the upper portion of which is arranged to slidethrough a suitable spring housing 16-, and carried by the upper end ofsaid arm is a roller 17. Fixed on the arm 15 within the housing 16- is acollar 18, and arranged. on the arm between this collar and the lowerend of the housing is a compression spring 19.

Mounted for rotation in suitable bearings adjacent to the spring housing16 is a shaft 20, and fixed thereon is a cam disk 21 provided with arecess 22', and there being an abrupt shoulder 2.3 at one end of saidrccess. The roller 17 on the switch arm 15 rides on the periphery of thecam disk 21. Fixed on the end of the shaft 20 opposite from the cam 21is a pinion 24, and loosely "mounted on the central portion of saidshaft 20' is a pinion 25.

Carried by this pinion 25 is aspri-n-g-pressed pawl 26, the point ofwhich is adapted to engage the teeth of a' ratchet wheel 27, the samebeing fixed on the shaft 20. Fixed on the shaft 28 that is mounted forrotation in suitable bearings is a pinion- 29 that meshes with thepinlOIl Located adjacent to the parts just diescribed is a smallelectric motor X, the armature shaft of which is in alinement with theshaft 28, and arranged between these shafts is a train of speed-reducinggearing comprising a number of comparatively large pinions 31 that meshwith comparatively small pinions 32.

Located adjacent to the parts just described is a series of coinreceptacles adapted to receive the coin utilized for actuating theswitch-closing mechanism of our improved device, and in the presentinstance we have shown three of these receptacles, although it willbereadily understood that the number of receptacles can be varied asdesired. These receptacles are identical in construction, eachcomprising a housing 30 in the center of which is located a verticallydisposed tube 51 open at its upper end and closed at its lower end, andleading into the upper portion of this tube is a coin chute 52.

Formed through the wall of the tube 51 opposite the discharge opening ofthe coin chute is a coin discharge opening 33.

Arranged for vertical movement in the upper portion of the tube 51 is aplate 34 in. which is seated an operating pin 35 which extends through avertically disposed slot 36 formed in the side wall of the housing 30.Arranged for vertical movement in the lower portion of the tube 51 is aplate 37 provided on one of its edges with a series of teeth 38 whichmesh with a pinion 39. This pinion is fixed on a shaft 40 that extendsthrough one of the side walls of the housing 30, and is arranged forrotation in suitable bearings. Positioned beneath the plate 37 is acompression spring 41 which normally holds the plate 37 elevated, withits upper end immediately below the discharge end of the coin chute 52.Loosely mounted on the shaft 40 is a pinion 42 which is equal indiameter to and meshes with the pinion 24. Carried by this pinion 42 isa spring-held pawl 43, the point of which is adapted to engage with theteeth of a ratchet wheel 44, the same being fixed on the shaft 40.

The second coin receptacle 30 is a c0un ter-part of the receptacle 30,just described, but said second receptacle is adapted to receive coinsof a higher denomination than the first mentioned receptacle, andloosely mounted on the shaft 40 which projects from the secondreceptacle 30* is a pinion 45 which meshes with and is proportionatelysmaller in diameter than the pinion 42. Arranged on this pinion 45 is a"spring-pressed pawl46, the point of which is adapted to engage the teethof a ratchet wheel 47, the same being rigidly fixed on the shaft 40".The third coin receptacle 30 is adapted to receive coins of a stillhigher denomination, and loosely mounted on the shaft 4O that nosasooprojects from the operating mechanism within said third receptacle is apinion 48 which meshes with and is proportionately smallerthan thepinion 45. This comparatively small pinion 48 carries a springpressedpawl 49, the point of which is adapted to engage the teeth of a ratchetwheel 50 that is fixed on the shaft- 40.

The operation of our improved apparatus is as follows: Under normalconditions or when the switchmember 14 is out of engagement with thecontacts 13, the spring 19 holds the arm 15 elevated with the roller 17in posit-ion within the notch 22 immediately adjacent to the shoulder23. \Vhen it is desired to actuate the apparatus to close the switch andreceive a certain amount of cur rent for the purpose of operating thefan or other electrically operated device the pin is engaged and movedforward, thereby elevating the plate 34. A coin of the properdenomination is'now inserted in the coin chute 52, and said coin passesdownward through said chute and discharges into the tube 51 between theplates 34 and 37. Thus the coin forms a connection between these platesand the operator now presses downward upon the pin 35, and as a result,the plate 37 is forced downward a certain distance, during which timethe spring 41 is pressed and the pinion 39 is partially rotated byreason of its engagement with the teeth 38. As the pinion 39 is rotatedrotary motion is imparted to the shaft 40 which carries said pinion andby means of the pawl 43 and ratchet 44, the comparatively large pinion42 is caused to rotate with said shaft 40, and by means of the pinion 24the rotary motion of said pinion 42 is imparted to the companion pinion24. Arrows in Fig. 4 indicate the direction of movement of the pinions42 and 24. The rotary motion of the pinion 42 isnot transmitted to theshaft 40 for the reason that the pinion 45 on said shaft 4O runs idle byreason of the position of the pawl 46 with respect to the ratchet wheel47. As the shaft 20 is rotated, the cam disk 21 on the opposite end ofsaid shaft will move with said shaft, and as a result,

the roller 17 will ride out of the recess 22 and ride around on theperiphery of said cam disk a point a predetermined distance away fromthe shoulder 23. As the roller 17 rides out of the notch '22 the switcharm 15 will be moved downward against the resistance offered by thespring 19, and the switch member 14 will be moved into engagement withthe contact point- 13, thereby closing the circuit so that electricalenergy will pass through the contacts 10 and 11 to-the fan 12 or otherelectrically operated device. 7

As the shaft 20 is rotated to carry the cam disk 21 into set position,the pinion 20' will 'not be actuated owing to the position of the pawl'26, the point of which, during the r0- tation of said shaft 20, ridesfreely over the teeth of the ratchet wheel 27. As the circuit is closedto the fan or other device, the motor 30 will receive a currentofelectricity through branch lines a-b, and as said motor operates, thetrain of reducing gearing comprising the pinions 31 and 32 will beoperated, and as a result, the shaft 28 carrying pinion 29 will beoperated at a comparatively slow rate of speed. As the pinion 29 isrotatedgcorresponding rotary motion is imparted topi'nion 25, and thepawl 26 carried thereby engaging with the ratchet wheel 27 willcorrespondingly rotate said ratchet wheel and the shaft 20, the speed ofrotation being very slow. As the shaft 20 is thus slowly rotated the camdisk 21 will be likewise moved and the roller 17 on the end of theswitch arm 15 will ride upon the periphcry of said cam disk until theshoulder 23 is brought to a position to permit said roller to pass intothe notch 22. During this travel of the roller 17 on the cam disk theswitch member 14 is maintained in engagement with the contact points 13,and thus the fan or other device receives current and is operated. Asthe roller 17 rides off the shoulder 23 under the influence of spring19, the member 14 is drawn out of engagement with the contact points 13,thereby opening the circuit.

After the plate 34 has been moved downward, as hereinbefore described,to move the plate 37 downward and impart movement to pinion 39 the'coinpositioned between the plates. 34 and 37 discharges through the opening33 and passes to the lower end of the receptacle 30. The spring 41 nowacts to elevate the plate 37, during which movement the pinion 39 andshaft 40 will be reversely rotated, but such reverse rotary movementwill not'affect the pinion 42 owing to the position of the pawl 43 withrespect to the teeth of the ratchet wheel 44. When a coin of smalldenomination is used to set the cam dis k and close the switch the camdisk is rotated so that the shoulder 23 is located a comparativelyshortdistance away from the roller 17 which is in engagement on the peripheryof said cam disk. \Vhen a coin of higher denomination is placed in thereceptacle 30 and the various parts are operated, as hereinbeforedescribed, the cam disk will be set so that the shoulder 23 is a greaterdistance away from the roller 17 than the distance between said shoulderand the roller when set by the use of the coin of smaller denomination.This difference of movement is due to the fact that the pinion 45carried by the shaft 40 projecting from the coin receptacle 30iscomparatively smaller than the pinion 42 carried by the shaft 40.Likewise, when a coin of larger denomination is positioned in thereceptacle 30 to set the cam disk and close the switch, the cam disk isrotated a comparatively short distance, thus locating the shoulder 23 aconsiderable distance from the roller 17, and thus said roller travelsfor a comparatively long period of time on the edge of the cam disk,thereby maintain ing the switch member 14 in engagement with thecontact'points 13 for a comparatively long period of time. Necessarilythe pinion 48 carried by the shaft 40 is proportionately smaller thanthe pinions 42 and 45.

The pinions 42, 45 and 48 control the distance of rotary movement of thecam disk when the same is set, and consequently the periodof time thatthe roller 17 travels on the periphery of the cam disk before droppinginto the notch 22 to open the circuit varies with the denomination ofthe coins inserted in the various receptacles 30, 30 and 30.

An apparatus of our improved construc tion is comparatively simple, isparticularly adapted for use in connection with all forms ofelectrically operated devices, and provides simple means whereby apredetermined amount of current can be obtained by depositing a coin ofthe proper denomination in one of the coin receptacles.

It will be readily understood that minor changes in the size, form andconstruction of the various parts of our improved coincontrolled switchcan be made and substituted for those herein shown and describeddifferent denominations, which receptacles are located adjacent to thedifferentially sized members of the train of gearing, pinions within thereceptacles, which pinions are connected to the differentially sizedmembers of the train of gearing, racks .meshing with. the pinions, andplungers for said racks, which plungers and racks are connected by thecoins introduced into the receptacles.

2. In a coin controlled mechanism for operating an electric switch, acam disk with which a part of the switch is adapted to engage, a coinreceptacle located adjacent to the cam, a train of gearing including apinion within the coin receptacle for rotat ing the cam in onedirection, a' spring In testimony whereof We hereunto ailix pressed rackW1th111 the 00111 receptacle, our signatures 1n the presence of tWowitto which rack is in engagement with the pinnesses, this 24th day ofAugust, 1912.

ion, a plunger arranged above the rack, and THOMAS Moll. KNOX. a coinchute leading through the coin recep- FREDRICK W. BROCKHOFF. tecle fordepositing coins between the lower Witnesses: end of theplunger and theupper end of the M. P. SMITH, JESSIE CLARK.

rack.

